Buenos Aires Tetra Care Guide
Hemigrammus caudovittatus is a hardy, relatively large tetra from the Rio de la Plata basin, tolerant of cooler water but known to nibble soft plants.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
The Buenos Aires tetra is a hardy, relatively large characin marked with red-tipped fins and a bold black cross at the caudal peduncle. It is one of the most durable aquarium tetras and is now treated by Wikipedia and FishBase as Psalidodon anisitsi.
Taxonomy
- Family: Characidae (order Characiformes)
- Genus: Hemigrammus
- Scientific name: Hemigrammus caudovittatus
- Common synonyms: Psalidodon anisitsi
Habitat
The species ranges throughout the Rio de la Plata basin (Parana and Uruguay river systems) in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southeastern Brazil, occurring in rivers, ponds, lakes and streams (Wikipedia, FishBase).
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 120 L
- Temperature: 18-26 °C (FishBase classifies it as subtropical)
- pH: 6.5-8.0
- GH: 5-18 °dGH
- Maximum size: about 7.5 cm (Wikipedia); FishBase reports up to 13.2 cm TL
- School size: 6 or more individuals
- Lifespan: 5-8 years (Wikipedia notes 5-6 years)
Diet
It is omnivorous; in the wild it feeds on worms, crustaceans, insects and plants. In the aquarium it takes live, fresh and flake foods, and benefits from added vegetable matter. It will nibble soft aquarium plants.
Compatibility
It is a robust schooler that may nip long-finned tankmates, especially when underfed. Suitable companions include larger tetras and bristlenose plecos; long-finned species are best avoided.
Breeding
It is an egg-scatterer; FishBase notes spawning occurs among plants with eggs hatching in about 20-24 hours, and parents should be removed to prevent them eating the fry.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (as Psalidodon anisitsi): Least Concern (assessed 2021).
Buenos Aires Tetra (Hemigrammus caudovittatus) Breeding Guide
Overview
The Buenos Aires tetra (Hemigrammus caudovittatus) is a robust characid from the Río de la Plata Basin in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southeastern Brazil, with its type locality at Villarrica, Paraguay. It grows up to about 7.5 cm and lives 5-6 years. It breeds by scattering eggs, and a separate breeding tank is needed because the species can occasionally nip at and eat aquarium plants.
Conditioning
Adults come into condition readily on a varied diet. Because the species nibbles soft plants, conditioning is usually done with hardy or artificial plants in the spawning tank rather than delicate fine-leaved species.
Breeding Setup
A dedicated breeding tank is used. Wikipedia notes that slightly acidic water gives the best breeding results, with spawning taking place among plant thickets that catch the scattered eggs.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
The male chases the female into plant thickets, where she releases semi-adhesive eggs. Pairs in good condition spawn readily, and small numbers of fry can even appear unprompted in a mature aquarium.
Egg & Fry Care
Eggs begin to hatch in about 24 hours. The larvae feed on their yolk sac for the first three to four days before becoming free-swimming. The parents will soon begin to eat their young, so removing them once eggs are laid greatly reduces fry losses.